Stressed persons are more likely to be obese, is that true?

A lot of research has been conducted over the years on the link between stress and obesity. These studies have proven that stress can actually cause both diabetes and obesity. Studies have equally shown that stress makes it difficult to lose weight. This might be the reason why some people, no matter how hard they try, can’t seem to lose weight.

Many people only think about psychological stress when they want to talk about stress. If they are asked to say the causes of stress their answers are usually driving in traffic, having a fight with your spouse or losing your job. In reality, stress encompasses psychological factors.

Although it is true that psychological challenges are the major cause of stress, there are other causes that so many people tend to neglect. Stress can be caused by physiological challenges such as excessive exercise, dieting, environmental toxins, autoimmune disease, inflammation, chronic infections and insomnia.
Our body can adapt well to the normal stress of everyday life. However, it does not have ready made answers for chronic and unrelenting stress that is now so common in the society. This type of stress leads to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness - what is usually known as “defeat response”. It is this type of response to stress that will ultimately lead to suppression of the immune system, tissue breakdown, abdominal obesity, and increased fat storage.

It is very common in the society these days to see someone who exercises regularly and eats well, but yet cannot lose weight. The only culprit for this is stress. This occurs when there is a disruption of the cortisol levels by other stressors such as food toxins, insomnia, gut infections and other psychological factors.
When stress becomes severe and prolonged, the hypothalamus in the body is activated which causes the adrenal gland to produce a hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol is the main hormone responsible for the feeling of anxiety, uneasiness and nervousness. Stress can disrupt the rhythm of this hormone which will definitely create other problems in the body such as;

• Rise in the level of triglycerides and fatty acids in the blood
• Rise in the fat storing rate in the body
• Increase in the body fat
• Causing the body cells to be sensitive to insulin
• Reducing the TSH, growth hormone, testosterone, and DHEA levels
• Suppression of the HPA-axis that results to hormonal imbalance
• Reducing the body’s ability to burn fat
• Inducing the feeling of hunger even when the body does not need food
• Raising your blood sugar

Any of these consequences can actually make you become fat, but a combination of these is a sure recipe for obesity.